


Are You Sure You’re an Elf?

by bry0psida



Series: Harringrove Advent [5]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Meetings, Fluff, Kid Fic, Light-Hearted, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sort of? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21680647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bry0psida/pseuds/bry0psida
Summary: It’s Steve’s first day as one of Santa’s mall elves. It goes badly, until it doesn’t.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington/Billy Hargrove
Series: Harringrove Advent [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558885
Comments: 13
Kudos: 152





	Are You Sure You’re an Elf?

**Author's Note:**

> [Prompt](https://alloftheprompts.tumblr.com/post/134419796558/25-days-christmas-romance-challenge) \- Character A works as a Santa’s helper. Character B has a small sibling/child.

“Jesus Christ, Steve, stop touching your crotch.” says Robin.

Steve doesn’t stop touching his crotch. “Look, it’s not my fault the only leggings they had are two sizes too small. Can’t believe they make us _pay_ for our own uniforms.”

“They’re not too small, you’ve just not worn anything that tight since you were a baby in feetie pajamas. Welcome to the world of women, Harrington. Clothes are uncomfortable.” Robin throws a balled up elf hat at Steve. “Hurry up, and put this on. Shift starts in five minutes.”

Steve catches the hat despite the urge to let it pass him by. “What about my hair?”

Robin points at a set of wilted and pointy pieces of plastic, brows raised. “Would you rather wear the ears?”

Steve sighs. “I hate my job.”

Robin cackles on her way out of the changing room. “You ain’t seen nothing yet, Harrington.”

…

Steve loves kids, he does. At least, he thought he did.

They are _relentless_. The screaming, the crying, the tantrums, the sticky hands-Steve’s had it with them.

“I’ve had it with them;” He says. “I’ve had it, Robin. If one more kid snots on me I swear to _god_ -“

“Steve, shut up.” Robin hisses.

“How do you even do this job? Why do you-?”

“Rough day, huh?” Steve whips around, flimsy hat flying off in the process. Steve scrambles for it, desperate to cover up his flattened hair. Hair concealed, he straightens, comes up short of a response when his eyes settle on the boy in front of him.

“Some-something like that.” Steve’s voice cracks. Robin snorts. The boy smiles.

“I can appreciate that, but my little sister Max over there-“ The boy points at a little red-headed girl some metres away, tiny hands and nose pressed flush against the inside of a store window, making faces at her brother. “-is a bit of a Christmas nut. She actually likes the elves more than Santa, so d’you think one of you could play it up a bit, take a picture with her?”

Steve looks at the boy, at Max, settles on Robin.

Robin blinks. Then protests. “No, nuh-uh, I got the last one.”

“Can you just give us, like, one sec?” Steve asks. The boy nods, tucks his hands into the pockets of his jeans, thumbs out.

“Sure thing.”

Steve ushers Robin out of ear-shot, furiously whispers, “You _have_ to do this for me.”

“Excuse me?”

“I will do anything, literally anything if you do this for me.”

Robin crosses her arms. “I don’t see why I should.”

Steve rolls his eyes, exasperated. “Look at him, Robin! _Look at him_.”

“I know what he looks like.”

“Then you know I’ve basically died and gone to heaven, please do not make me talk in elf voice in front of that double denim clad demigod.” He pleads with his eyes. She doesn’t budge.

“Everything good over there?” The boy asks. _Christ, his voice._

“Peachy!” Robin calls back, shoving Steve back to his appointed spot as greeter.

“I should warn you,” Billy says, “She’s a little… _intense_ for a six year old.”

“Boo!” The little girl says, materialising at the boy’s feet. He scoops her up under the armpits and spins her around so fast Steve expects to be cleaning vomit by the end of his shift. “Billy! Stop!” She shrieks.

Billy does stop, sets Max on her feet. She sways, Billy holds her up by the straps of her overalls. “You got me good, short-stuff. Had to get you back. Ready to take a picture with the elves?” Max nods enthusiastically, face serious.

“Elf, singular,’ Robin corrects. “Someone’s gotta take the picture.”

Steve closes his eyes, sighs internally. _At least nothing in life will ever be more embarrassing than this_ , he thinks.

Max stumbles towards Steve, still dizzy from the spinning. Steve holds his hands out to steady her. Max grasps the striped sleeves of Steve’s costume, eyes trained on his face. “Ears,” She says.

Steve is so surprised he bypasses the silly voice and script altogether. “Ears?”

Max nods. “Elves have big ears. Where are your ears?”

Steve chances a glance at Billy, who is watching intently. _Can’t mess this up._ “They’re, uh-hat! Under my hat.”

Max considers this for a moment, then accepts his explanation. “You’re too tall.” Billy snorts. “Elves are supposed to be small. Are you sure you’re an elf?”

 _Tough crowd._ “Oh yeah. You can ask Santa if you want, I’m his favourite.”

Max shakes her head. “Don’t wanna talk to Santa. Wanna picture with an elf to show daddy.”

Steve exhales in relief. “I think we can handle that. C’mon.” He stands, offering his hand to Max. She bypasses it and latches onto his sleeve again, leading the way to the chair.

“How many d’you want?” Robin asks.

Billy considers. “Let’s go with three.”

Max scrambles onto the arm of the chair, Steve sits on the cushion. Once they’re situated Robin begins the count down, one eye screwed shut.

“Okay, first shot, big smiles: One, two, three.”

Steve blinks rapidly after the flash. Billy is pressing his lips together in what looks like a desperate attempt not to laugh, eyes darting between his sister and Steve. Robin is doing something similar. Steve frowns at them. “What?”

Billy and Robin exchange a look before turning back to Steve and saying “Nothing.” in unison.

It’s a little awkward to sit in silence between pictures, Steve opts for conversation. “What do you want for Christmas?”

Max looks at him like he’s stupid. “I already sent my letter to Santa.”

Steve blinks. “Right, right-yeah, we definitely got that one.”

“Alright kids, second shot.” Steve shrugs it off and poses for the next picture per Max’s demands.

“Beautiful!” Says Robin.

Max turns to Steve. “Did Santa get my brother’s letter?”

“What?”

Max rolls her eyes, which looks hilarious on her small and serious face. “Billy-I told him to write a letter so Santa can help him get what he wants for Christmas.”

“What does he want for Christmas?”

Max looks around as though there are prying eyes and ears around them. She leans in, whispers, “If I tell you, you have to keep it a secret from anyone who isn’t Santa.”

Steve nods. “I will.”

She holds out her little finger. “Pinky promise?”

“Pinky promise.”

Max cups her hands around where she knows Steve’s ears to be beneath his god awful hat. “He wants a boyfriend.”

Steve’s heart does somersaults in his chest.

“Last one, boys and girls! Alright, three, two, one.” The flash is less disorienting the third time.

The process overall is odd but painless. With the photos done, Max stays on the arm of the chair to further Scrutinise Steve’s appearance.

“I still don’t think you’re an elf;” She says. “But daddy won’t know the difference, so it doesn’t matter.”

Max hops off the chair, surprises Steve by reaching for his hand. She grasps it firmly as he walks her back to her brother. Before they part ways she looks up at him, eyes wide on her freckled face. “You’ll tell Santa? Promise?”

Steve smiles down at the little weirdo, feeling fond. “I promise.”

She grins back at him, all teeth, before launching herself at her brother’s legs. Billy groans in mock protest, even taking a controlled spill to the floor, grunting in manufactured pain. They wrestle on the dirty floor for another minute or two before Billy decides enough is enough. “Alright short stuff, we gotta get home, get some food in you.”

Max huffs. “Fine.” Billy helps her up, dusting off her overalls before he licks a thumb and rubs something off her face as she wriggles in protest. “How’d you even get this dirty?”

Steve watches them together, feels something pleasant and familiar he doesn’t have a name for bloom in his chest.

“Thanks for doing this,” Billy says around a smile, mullet in disarray. “I know it’s not in the job description, but it means a lot to her.”

“Billy!” Max whines, tugging on Billy’s jeans. “I wanna go look at the skateboards again.”

“Two minutes, stay where I can see you.” Max nods sharply before dashing back and plastering herself to the window of Santa Cruz.

Steve chuckles. “She’s cute.”

“Yeah; not as cute as you, though.”

Steve chokes on his own spit. Billy laughs lightly.

“Tell me you just said what I thought you said.”

Billy licks his lips, the overhead fluorescent lights glinting off his perfect teeth. “I might have, depends.”

“On?”

“Whether you give your number to boys with weird little sisters often.”

Steve shakes his head vigorously. “You’d-you’d be the first.”

Billy flashes him another dashing smile. Steve swoons.

“You have any paper, hot stuff?”

Steve pats his nonexistent pockets. “Pen, paper. Robin!”

Robin looks at him, frowns. “Why are you yelling? I’m right here.”

“Paper! Pen!”

Robin produces a pen from behind her ear, hidden by her hair. Steve all but snatches it from her. “Civilised people say thank you, you know.”

Steve ignores her, looks at Billy some more. “Don’t have any paper.”

Billy holds out a tanned and calloused hand. “Just write it on my palm, I’ll copy it down when I get to my car.”

Steve counts his lucky stars that Billy doesn’t seem to mind his hot-guy-drunk stupidness. He takes Billy’s hand to steady it, and scribbles his number on.

Billy glances at the number, beams at it like Steve just made his day. “I’ll call you tonight?”

Steve nods stupidly. Billy bites his lip. “Yes, please do that.”

Billy disappears with a wink and waft of musky cologne.

Steve stares after him, elated and exhausted. Robin elbows him in the ribs. “Glad I made you take the kid now?”

“You have no idea.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a sucker for first meetings/meet cutes with this pairing, can y'all tell? Expect to see more of that and Soft! big brother Billy in the future.
> 
> I'm having the time of my life writing this series. I really can't put into words what it means that people are reading it and enjoying it. If you happen to do one or perhaps both of these things, please boost my confidence and let me know!


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